Conference Venue

The eCAT planning meeting will be held at the I2C center (461 Burroughs St) in the heart of TECHTOWN. TechTown is Detroit’s entrepreneurship hub, which is a nonprofit business service organization that provides programs, education, and resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech entrepreneurs. The 135,000 square-foot building in Detroit’s New Center supports coworking, offices, meetings, and events. Looking forward to meeting you here!

Wayne State University - The CAR Lab now is a searchable location on Google Map, which is in the neighborhood of I2C center. In case of arriving at the I2C center early, you are very welcome to visit The CAR Lab! 

Recommended Hotels

Hotel Saint Regis Detroit. Located in Detroit’s bustling New Center area, the all-new Hotel St. Regis is centrally located to the best of what Detroit has to offer - Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field, Comerica Park, an internationally recognized foodie scene, and the second-largest theater district in the U.S.

Shinola Hotel, where luxury was designed to be enjoyed. Nothing is too precious. Their spacious Detroit hotel rooms have a residential feel with hardwood flooring, curated amenities, and cozy mid-century modern furniture, built to age gracefully. Earthy tones create a calming atmosphere, while loft-style windows provide plenty of natural light and views of the city.

Element Detroit at the Metropolitan. Discover a new way to relax, refresh and connect to the world around you at Element Detroit at the Metropolitan. The hotel is just moments away and walking distance from top attractions like Ford Field, Comerica Park, Little Caesars Arena, and thriving destinations in the Theatre District. The downtown hotel is perfect for both weekend getaways and extended stays alike. Settle into your spacious guest room equipped with thoughtful features including plush bedding, complimentary Wi-Fi, and full-size kitchens.

Transportation Instructions

Hotel Saint Regis Detroit is located within the walking distance of the I2C center. For those who would like to stay downtown (Shinola Hotel and Element Detroit at the Metropolitan), riding a Qline is very convenient. Please find more detailed information via the transportation map. 

Parking Instructions

Our meeting will take place at the WSU Industry Innovation Center (I2C, 461 Burroughs St). 

Planning Workshop Agenda (Tentative)

Meeting format: 

Day 1: Center and Site directors, faculty, and NSF program director make presentations. Prospective members interact with the researchers. Day 2: Center response to workshop attendees’ feedback, NSF closed session with industry, discussion on the plan moving forward.

Day 1 (April 27, 2022)

8:15 - 9:00am                                              Registration, breakfast and networking

9:00 - 9:15am                                            Opening remarks 

Mark Kornbluh.    Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ned Staebler          Vice President for Economic Development 

     President and CEO of TechTown

9:15- 10:05am                                            Introduction of the eCAT Center (Center and Site Directors)

• Mission of the center

• Vision and value proposition

• Capabilities of academic sites

• Prospective members introduction

10:05 - 11:05am                                  NSF IUCRC program (Behrooz Shirazi, Acting Deputy Division Director,  NSF/CNS)

11:05- 11:20am                                 Break

11:20 - 11:35am                                 AirTable Introduction (Site Directors)

11:35 - 12:30pm                                     Project proposal presentations

• OpenEdgeMap: Edge-based HD Map Management System

• Edge Data Analytics for Connected Vehicles

• Detroit Rectifier Based Onboard Chargers (OBC) for EVs

• Physics-informed Digital Twin for High-performing Electric Power Systems of Autonomous Vehicles

• Feature Map Based Cooperative Perception System for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

12:30 - 1:30pm                                    Lunch

1:30 - 3:15pm                                        Project proposal presentations (continued)

• ML Systems Optimizations for Autonomous Driving Systems

• All-Weather Radar Based Road Segmentation for Mapless Autonomous Vehicles

• Localization with Ordinal Data

• Metamorphic Approach for Building Dependable Cyber Physical Systems

• V2X Communications for Pedestrian Safety through Real-Time Sensing and Cooperation

3:15 - 3:30pm                                         Break

3:30 - 4:30pm                                        Industry Workshop (Prospective  members) 

4:30 - 4:45pm Summary from the Industry Workshop 

4:45 - 5:00pm                                        Review of evening and Day 2 activities (Center Director)

5:00 - 6:30pm                                              Poster session and networking (All)

Day 2 (April 28)

8:15 - 9:00am                                               Breakfast and networking 

9:00 - 9:45am                                            Project feedback review and discussion (All participants)

9:45 - 10:00am Center response to feedback from industry workshop (Center and sites directors)

10:00 - 10:15am                                   Break

10:15 - 10:30am Role of IAB and IUCRC program selection guidance (NSF Program Director))

10:30 - 11:25am Mocking IAB voting using AirTable and discussion  (prospective members, program evaluator)

11:25 - 11:45am NSF closed session with industry (NSF PD and prospective members)

11:45 -12:00pm                                  Next steps and action items (Site Directors)

12:00 - 12:15pm Closing Remarks (Weisong Shi)

12:15pm Adjourn